


one of us is going to have to change

by molly-gru (MundyMorn)



Category: Luigi's Mansion (Video Games)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:22:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24344956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MundyMorn/pseuds/molly-gru
Summary: Booigi finds he's not too enthusiastic about the King's latest plan, and it doesn't help that the old bean isn't as friendly as he used to be.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	one of us is going to have to change

**Author's Note:**

> A little nod to how KB was totally going to trap his boos in that big old portrait at the end, right along with the 'useless hotel ghosts'.

This hotel’s a crock.

It’s a weird merger of pristine and decrepit, and Booigi can’t help but wonder if the ghosts here upped the decay to better suit their round, bobby guests. Boos were fairly niche, and he also can’t help but think of them like a brand. There’s such a variety in this place it makes his (figurative, non-existent since his body _is_ his head,) noggin spin. Blues and purples, mostly exaggerated features, especially. He’d seen the like in movies sometimes.

On the upper levels the techno-dance floor is in pretty good shape and there’s even a cleaner ghost that shooed him away with her feather duster, so, he concedes that the way the hotel goes all grimy in certain places is because they are here. 

One stubby limb poking at his chin (usually they look too small to reach the underside of his mouth, but, when there’s a ghostly will there’s a way) he moves near the staircase.

He’s on his own and not up to mischief. That in itself is... weird. The others, in recent years, haven’t exactly been flocking to his side. And the past few weeks have felt off and strange in a way he couldn’t dissect. The other boos were in good spirits, always itching for a caper, but when he heard some hotel owner was beckoning in the heroes, and inviting them to the party...well he didn’t know why, but, unease was following him like back ectoplasm.

He wonders what made him pause here in the foyer, a boo on no consequence. Boos never _hove_ r awkwardly, and they rarely stay visible for long unless they’re, well -

Oh look, it’s the boss.

Unconsciously, Booigi drifts a little out of the way, so he’s nearby a bare, grey-sheet table. King Boo pays him no mind. Didn’t notice him there, incidentally. 

Booigi feels grateful, and again without really paying attention to what he’s doing, hovers down a little so he’s partially obscured by the table. Man, he doesn’t look as giddy as he usually does. (Well, he mentioned how he didn’t think this scheme would work...) But Booigi can sense it isn’t the time to be pestering the King with small-talk.

Not that he’d ever had a conversation face-to-face with King Boo. Weird, huh? He’d known the sceptre all his afterlife and doubted he’d even made eye contact with him.

Why does he feel so funny tonight? And... uncomfortable?

His form has gone semi-transparent, and none of the ghosts have noticed he’s there, eavesdropping.

Is he? Can’t hear them, but their expressions fly. King Boo’s is being...cordial. It makes Booigi’s … _body_ buzz on the inside like TV Static. 

The King’s been in a mood lately. And Booigi kept catching himself watching and waiting for it to clear, but it didn’t. 

It’s not his place to feel like he can’t trust in the plan,

Or that the King wouldn’t put them in harm’s way unless he (misguidedly) felt he could win. Booigi blinked to himself.

Misguidedly, huh?

Is that a Freudian slip…

Oh well, safe in his head. 

King Boo has changed.

No, seriously.

Before, there was no crown that buzzed with energy like that, and the guy wasn’t the size of a truck. And the more it went on the more Booigi felt like there was a repellent air to him, something cold, and unwelcoming. 

_Ghostly senses tingling, calm before the storm. I will probably be the first one stuffed into a hoover when all’s done, just my luck._

Spying Hellen Gravelly drifting into the fray, Booigi shifts his attention to her and muses. That hair is bigger than he is. _Morticia Addams is on the phone, she’s sending you a cease and dissent on the grounds that -_

**Bonk.**

Now, Steward wheeled in a trolley case, and it knocked against the table. A badly placed vase with long-withered flowers tipped theatrically, and while Booigi was lost in his inner monologue, it smashed.

Good thing Booigi doesn’t have skin to jump out of right?

A loud, strangled sound follows the mash, and he’s visible and staring down at the glass shards. He’s also painfully aware all the ghosts in the foyer are staring at him, and soul **_droops._**

_Couldn’t he just patrol the Boo Woods, please?_

A glance over at the staircase and he sees King Boo watching him with blase scrutiny, not too concerned but maybe a little miffed at his display. Gravely is hard to read with those sunglasses on. 

Booigi flashes a painful grin the King’s way, rubs the side of his ‘head’ and promptly vanishes.

(He doesn’t notice that the King’s eyes narrow slightly and that he only turns back to resume his chat with Hellen after a thoughtful pause.)

…

Booigi is floating around the halls on his own. He feels more at ease doing that, and even throws in a few twists and turns, and a little loop-de-loop. You can’t catch me, _lingering thoughts of no-confidence._

Really, he doesn’t want to go back to E-Gadd’s lab anytime soon, even if they always do break out. On that note he slows to a halt. Coincidentally, he’s in the hallways designated for Luigi and his friends. Already being coated with magic to fool them.

He can smell the glamour like fruity perfume. Curious, he bobs through the wall into the room that will be Luigi’s.

And hovers there.

Booigi doesn’t remember what his name was before Luigi came into the picture. He has a feeling he wasn’t a ghost very long before that, so he had no solid name to cling to. Which made it easy for the tongue-in-cheek name to stick.

There’s a golden glow in this room. There’s been a lot of detail added to this one in particular, and Booigi finds himself conned as badly as King Boo hopes Luigi will be. He wonders if Hellen once put this much effort into all the Hotel. Makes sense for someone in the service industry to make a room look its best. Booigi should be disturbed by how safe he feels in here. The illusion is like soothing music, and even the little drift in the sheer curtains makes his worry feel far away.

(He knows it's part of the magic.)

And thinks again of Luigi. He’s met the guy before. And thrown out snark and one-liners just like everybody else. He’s never been afraid of him, just that flashlight of his…

“Are you really gonna come here?” He says to the room, poking one of the very, very fake balloons. He watches it swoop back into place and waggles his tongue at it. 

What does he feel right now?

It’s dangerously close to _sympathy._ Booigi tries to counter it with the very-genuine wish to not be in a vacuum cleaner’s sack, but he does hope Luigi doesn’t turn up. Anyway, he should feel more hatred towards the guy who would be doing the _shoving._

Eventually he does sweep out of the room, humming to himself.

“It seems we have time on our hands.”

Every bit the audio counterpart to a massive shadow ensnaring him, King Boo’s voice chimes behind him.

And Booigi’s sudden terror is only strengthened by his own shock at being _startled_ by _King Boo._

It’s like gasoline on a fire.

But this isn’t an enemy, it’s just another Boo like him, albeit in charge, but. They’re on the same side, right?

Right?

There was nothing to be afraid of.

Booigi turns to find the massive specter floated close during his stupor, and the subordinate can do nothing but wince and stare at the floor. Contrary to his frown from before, King Boo has a milder, if _sneaky_ looking smirk on his face. A touch playful, and Booigi senses no temper and lets himself deflate.

“Just admiring the handiwork?” Booigi laughs nervously, again rubbing at where his temple would be, if… he had a distinct head. King Boo’s stare continues to be full of scrutiny, however, and he tries not to blink too fast.

“It’s _Booigi,_ isn’t it? How fitting.”

It’s a friendly jab but once more, Booigi is hit by that unease. “It wasn’t my idea.” He says, quickly. 

“I’d think not.” Kin Boo’s brown quirks down just a _little_. “And I trust you have all your duties in this plan ticked off, since you have time to wander?”

Usually King Boo didn’t mind at all what they did, anywhere, haunting is haunting, and they were always obliging in his plans, so why would he need to?

Times change. Booigi makes a ‘hm’ sound,

“Yup, I’ll be hiding in the trash can where I belong.

He blurts it out, completely sincere. 

… A beat passes and King Boo eyes him. Booigi wishes he was never born, into life or afterlife. 

Then King Boo laughs.

Well, it looks like he isn’t going to die gruesomely. Again. Booigi can’t help but smile. At least the joke landed. 

Until the king adds, “You’re an oddball. But mind yourself.”

Smile suddenly stiff, Booigi _hm-hms_ loudly. “I do that all the time, so no worries there, Boss.”

“Good. I’d hate to think your heart wasn’t in it.”

Booigi can’t clutch at the fake grin on his face, but King Boo doesn’t make note of it, and simply turns leisurely to leave. Booigi waits until he leaves, then side-eyes the door the Luigi’s honey trap room.

Yeah, hate to think. 

....

_That little oddball never had a clue he was watching, did he?_

_King Boo had observed him bobbing around and poking balloons, with an unsettled, dare he say, jittery air. Clearly had monologue skills. As on the nose as it sounded, the fact he'd wandered in there at all was sticking in his mind, in a way he couldn't figure out. Whatever the reason, he disliked that tone._

_He’d have to keep an eye on him._


End file.
